Collider has published a retrospective ranking of the best films released in 2020, arguing that despite pandemic-era cinema closures and disrupted release calendars, several standout titles have only grown in stature over the following six years. The piece contends that these films were unusually attuned to themes of loneliness, uncertainty, grief and reinvention, qualities that resonated strongly given the circumstances of their release and still feel sharp today.

The list ranks eight films, with entries eight through six covering "Palm Springs" (a time-loop comedy starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti that captured lockdown-era stasis), "Promising Young Woman" (Carey Mulligan's revenge drama examining rape culture and complicity), and Pixar's "Soul" (Jamie Foxx's exploration of purpose and ambition after death). The full ranking continues beyond these three, though the provided text is truncated before revealing the remaining top five entries.